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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28774128">A Motor Mouth Muted</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Insufferable_KnowItAll/pseuds/Insufferable_KnowItAll'>Insufferable_KnowItAll</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Animaniacs</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>And anyone who doesn’t conform to the gender binary, Animaniacs - Freeform, Animaniacs fluff, Family Fluff, Gen, Hello my dudes, My dudettes, Sick Yakko, Sickfic, Welcome to my self indulgent sick fic, Yakko deserves to be taken care of, enjoy the fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 06:27:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,495</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28774128</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Insufferable_KnowItAll/pseuds/Insufferable_KnowItAll</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>What happens when you take the voice away from the talkative eldest Warner? I know what you’re thinking, and, no, this isn’t episode 11. When Yakko comes down with a case of laryngitis, he tries anything he can to hide his inability to speak from his siblings. Fluff ensues.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dot Warner &amp; Wakko Warner &amp; Yakko Warner</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>128</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Motor Mouth Muted</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Goooood morning, sibs!” Yakko sang, the way he had every morning for 90 years.<br/>
He delighted in the way Dot would yank her pillow over her head in an effort to muffle the sound, or Wakko’s dissenting groan as he tangled himself in his sheets.<br/>
Even after all these years, Dot would demand to know why he insisted on interrupting her beauty sleep. Yakko’s response was the same every morning. If she was any cuter, she could take over the world, and that was a goal for a different segment.<br/>
She would huff and stomp to the bathroom, which she hogged for at least an hour, much to his and Wakko’s consternation.<br/>
Once, he made the mistake of asking her what she did in there for so long. She detailed every step of her beauty routine, down to the particular flick of the wrist she used to get the slight curl in her hair.<br/>
He didn’t ask again.<br/>
However, this morning, his voice came out a hoarse croak. He slapped his hand over his mouth. His eyes flitted between his siblings. Neither of them had stirred.<br/>
He crept into the bathroom, carefully shutting the door. He poured a glass of water and downed it in one gulp.<br/>
He doubled over, one hand gripping the sink, the other curled into a fist as he coughed desperately into his elbow.<br/>
He hadn’t registered the ache in his throat when he woke up, but now it was impossible to ignore. His head throbbed in time with each cough. He could hear his own ragged breathing as the fit subsided.<br/>
He swiped at his watering eyes with the back of his hand before splashing water on his face. At least <em>that</em> didn’t hurt.<br/>
Maybe if he got back into bed, he could play it off. He opened the door.<br/>
“Finally decided to unleash my cuteness on the world?” Dot joked, leaning forward and batting her eyelashes.<br/>
Yakko jumped in surprise, clutching his chest. His heart could have beat Usain Bolt in a race at the moment. Dot grinned at him.<br/>
He shrugged with a smirk, patting her head as he passed. She turned, strolling after him.<br/>
“What? No snappy comeback? What’s the matter, Yakko, cat got your tongue?”<br/>
He shrugged again. Dot’s grin faded. She stared at her brother, who was striding away from her as quick as his (significantly longer) legs could carry him. Was he trying to evade her? Yes. Was she too stubborn to let this go? Unfortunately, he knew the answer was a resounding “yes.”<br/>
As they entered the kitchen, Wakko pulled his attention from his cereal. He smiled at his older brother, who tousled the former’s hat in greeting. Wakko returned his attention to his cereal.<br/>
“Alright, spit it out. You haven’t said a word all morning. What’s the big deal?” Dot demanded.<br/>
Think, Yakko, <em>think!</em><br/>
He contorted his hands into different shapes before grinning. He had told them that he intended to spend the day using sign language because, if they couldn’t make jokes accessible for everyone, what was the point of making jokes at all?<br/>
“What does that mean?” Wakko asked.<br/>
Dot shrugged.<br/>
Yakko groaned, dragging a hand down his face. Right. They didn’t know ASL. He’d have to get around to teaching them when he could properly explain it.<br/>
He paused for a moment before tapping on the counter. Sure, it was a bit sloppy, but it would get the mes—Oh, right. They didn’t know Morse Code either.<br/>
Yakko was running out of options fast.<br/>
He didn’t want to resort to this.<br/>
He <em>couldn’t</em>.<br/>
He still had an ounce of dignity left.<br/>
He rubbed his aching head, contemplating his next move. Surely there was another option.<br/>
This… this was a fate worse than <em>death</em>.<br/>
Dot began to tap her foot. She was growing impatient.<br/>
Wakko had stopped eating to watch him.<br/>
He was going to regret this.<br/>
“Yakko, are you… miming?” Dot gasped. He would have laughed at the way her face contorted in disgust and horror if the situation wasn’t so grim.<br/>
Wakko pulled her into a hug, shooting Yakko a fearful look. Dot buried her face in Wakko’s sweater. Yakko could hear her faint sniffling.<br/>
Now he’d done it.<br/>
“Sibs…” Yakko tried.<br/>
His siblings stared at him in shock. It wasn’t disgust, so he’d take it.<br/>
Wait.<br/>
He could have <em>written</em>.<br/>
He mentally kicked himself.<br/>
“Your voice…” Wakko mumbled.<br/>
“You’re sick?” Dot asked.<br/>
Yakko couldn’t stand the way they watched him with concern. <br/>
He frantically shook his head. <em>Wow, Yak, real convincing.</em><br/>
“Don’t make us do this the hard way,” Dot chided.<br/>
Yakko backed up slowly, glancing over his shoulder. Wakko and Dot pounced just as he decided to run for it.<br/>
He ended up on the floor beneath his siblings with a heavy thud. Couldn’t a guy deny his problems without having his ribs broken in this house?<br/>
Dot pressed the back of her hand against his forehead. Her eyes widened.<br/>
“You’re burning up! That’s it. We’re taking you to Scratchy.”<br/>
Half an hour later, he couldn’t say he was disappointed with the way things turned out.<br/>
He leaned forward with a dopey grin as Hello nurse palpated his lymph nodes. His tail beat lazily against the examination table. Wakko bore a similar expression, complete with small red hearts collecting in the space above his head.<br/>
Dot stared at them, eyebrow cocked, arms crossed. “Don’t you two ever take a day off?” She asked sardonically.<br/>
An hour later, his siblings were forcing him into bed, despite his nonverbal protests. He crossed his arms, digging his heels into the floor.<br/>
“You heard the doctor, Yakko! Bed rest and fluids are the way to treat your acute viral Larry whatever,” Dot insisted, pushing resolutely against his legs.<br/>
“Let us take care of you,” Wakko demanded, pushing Yakko’s lower back, “You do it for us!”<br/>
The pair had shoved him halfway across the water tower. If he didn’t give in, they would push him to Ohio by dinner.<br/>
He cringed.<br/>
When he finally relaxed to signal that he conceded, they shoved him over.<br/>
<em>Floor—2, Yakko—0.</em><br/>
“Sorry!” Dot and Wakko yelped in unison. They yanked him off the floor and led him to Dot’s bed. He shook his head and gestured to the ballpit.<br/>
“Oh, just do it,” she snapped.<br/>
He held up his hands to pacify her. He allowed himself to be tucked in once he had changed into a pair of pajama bottoms.<br/>
Dot busied herself with supplies while Wakko made soup. If Yakko wasn’t so fatigued, he probably would have opposed to Wakko touching the stove, but the day had taken its toll and all he wanted was some rest.<br/>
Dot stared at their small supply of medications thoughtfully. She selected a small bottle of ibuprofen.<br/>
“I think this was the one he told us to use... Here. Take this,” she said, sitting him up and placing a small white tablet in his hand.<br/>
It was a struggle to get it down. He thought the <em>water</em> had hurt. Dot rubbed his back reassuringly. She could be a spitfire, but when Dot decided to be sweet, her kindness was unparalleled. He appreciated it.<br/>
She coaxed him back down, carefully draping a cool washcloth across his forehead. She returned her attention to their supplies.<br/>
Yakko patted the bed beside him. Dot glanced over. He gave her his best impression of her puppy dog face. She raised her eyebrows as if to say, “Aren’t you milking this a little?” He pouted. If he could speak, he would dramatically monologue about how his sister was denying her ailing brother his dying wish.<br/>
“Alright, alright. But for the record, your cuteness isn’t even in the same league as mine,” she joked, climbing onto the bed. She curled up beside him, nuzzling into his chest. She smiled to herself as he dozed off.<br/>
“Soup’s on!” Wakko cried half an hour later.<br/>
Yakko slowly sat up, still dazed from sleep. Wakko set a tray on his lap with a proud grin, tongue protruding from the corner of his mouth. Yakko returned the smile in an effort to thank his younger brother. The bowl of soup looked normal—good, even. Yakko tried a spoonful.<br/>
Oh, <em>god</em>.<br/>
He gave Wakko a shaky thumbs up. Wakko beamed, handing Dot a bowl before crawling onto the bed with his own. Dot recoiled the moment the spoon touched her mouth.<br/>
“Wakko, how much salt did you use?” She asked sweetly. Yakko could tell she was trying to spare their brother’s feelings.<br/>
“A tablespoon! Why?” He replied.<br/>
“Are you sure it wasn’t supposed to be a teaspoon?”<br/>
“Oh,” Wakko said, furrowing his brow for a moment before returning to his characteristic grin, “It probably <em>was!</em>”<br/>
The two younger siblings dissolved into laughter. Yakko pulled them into his sides with a loving grin. He may not have been able to talk, but no words were necessary.<br/>
Some things go unspoken.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>What Dot was trying to say was “acute viral laryngitis.” It’s a condition that causes the larynx (the voicebox) to become inflamed, causing the characteristic symptoms of hoarseness, cough, etc. It usually subsides in a week or so, so Yakko has to let his siblings care for him a bit longer. The boy needs the rest.<br/>I hope you enjoyed my first foray into animaniacs fanfic :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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